Carmichael Residences / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Curated by Hadir Al Koshta

Text description provided by the architects. This high-end residential development offers a natural refuge in one of India’s largest cities, elevating the greenery of Carmichael Road through a series of bespoke naturally ventilated indoor-outdoor residences.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is celebrating the completion of Carmichael Residences, a stunning new residential tower in Mumbai that invokes tranquility within the bustle of the city. Situated in Tardeo, a neighborhood known for its historic bungalows and expansive gardens, Carmichael Residences addresses an increasing demand for high-rise living. Distinguished by a western red cedar facade accented with plantings visible across its 21 floors, the design elegantly befits its surroundings while embracing passive design strategies inspired by the architecture of the region.

“This development adds a new residential experience for the neighborhood,” said SOM Partner Laura Ettelman. “We designed the building as a vertical landscape, leveraging the biophilic identity of Carmichael Road and maximizing the airflow and flexibility essential for comfort in a tropical climate.” From the street level, the driveway winds toward an elevated and private lobby clad in curved glass. Gardens ensconce the lobby to offer a serene escape from the city with scented flowers, running water, lush plantings, and finishes made of locally sourced granite and the same western red cedar. The landscape ascends to the parking levels, which are shrouded in plantings that drape down the chhajjas. Just above the parking levels, an amenity floor accommodates a gym, a garden, a multifunctional space, and an outdoor yoga terrace, while a pool and another garden share the rooftop with photovoltaic arrays that power the building’s back-of-house. All onsite vegetation is irrigated by captured stormwater—an essential component of the project’s Indian Green Building Council Green Homes certification target.

Carmichael Residences follows the Vastu tradition of architecture, which emphasizes symmetry and a connection to nature. It determines a home’s spatial arrangement—from providing a communal room in the center of the dwellings to placing entrances along the east to promote health and prosperity. Housed across the top 14 floors, all 28 units are arranged in an open plan, with the versatility to be combined into larger spaces. The 70-meter-tall tower is clad in high-performance, fully operable glazing, with deep overhangs—known as chhajjas in India—that shield each unit from the sun and monsoon rain. Greenery cascades down the chhajjas, and lends additional shading and detail to the building’s silhouette. Sliding wooden screens open each unit’s terrace to breezes and extraordinary views of the Arabian Sea, and also provide privacy and protection against inclement weather when closed. This passive design approach effortlessly cools each unit through cross ventilation, reducing dependence on air conditioning throughout the building. “Our approach coalesces comfort and sustainability simultaneously,” said SOM Principal Peter Lefkovits. “We replicated the verdure of Carmichael Road into the building itself—creating an experience that is both open and intimate.”